


Splash

by SarcasticSmiler



Series: Chicken AU [8]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Bit of Fluff, Bit of humour, Chicken AU, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-30
Updated: 2017-08-30
Packaged: 2018-12-21 19:04:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11950695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SarcasticSmiler/pseuds/SarcasticSmiler
Summary: Balin asks for help, partly because he needs it, mainly because it'll be amusing for him to watch.





	Splash

**Author's Note:**

> This is a take on what I think a sibling relationship would be like. I'm an only child though, so my interpretations can be a bit hit or miss, but siblings would do something like this right?

Balin sat back in his chair, a suitably safe distance from the building tension that was just waiting to break.

He'd managed to rope Dwalin into help empty, clean, and refill the ducks’ paddling pool. The older Fundin brother citing his aching old joints as his reason for the needed help. He hadn’t been at all surprised when Nori turned up as well, clearly not happy at the prospect of manual labour, but willing to lend a hand anyway.

The pair had quickly emptied the pool. Pouring the murky green water over the sparse plants that had survived being eaten by curious ducks, before scrubbing at the slimy green coating on the bottom and sides of the pool with a couple of stiff bristled brooms.

It was the harsh sound of bristles on hard plastic that woke his call ducks from their afternoon doze.

Balin watched as fifteen of his little white terrors waddled over to the two sweating men, vigorously scrubbing their pool. Heads tilting curiously as they eyed up the progress being made.

A few of the more bolshie females edged their way closer, nibbling on Nori’s toes and ankles after looking into the pool and finding it still empty. They loudly quacked their displeasure at him between nips.

Balin couldn’t help but chuckle when Nori yelped, spotting his little Moria tugging on a few pale leg hairs glinting in the sun.

“Shoo, you lot,” Dwalin grumbled, attempting to save his partner from nibbling, insistent beaks.

His attempts worked…sort of.

Instead of nibbling Nori’s feet, they turned their attention to Dwalin’s. Moria seemed to take particular delight in tugging on the hairs sprouting from one of his big toes.

Trying to keep their feet away from the small ducks, the pair scrubbed the last of the green muck from the edges as quickly as they could.

Rinsing the pool one final time, Dwalin set it back down as Nori started filling various buckets from the multiple water butts scattered around the garden.

“Would you wait a bloody minute?” Nori groused, tripping over the small herd of ducks rushing to be the first in the pool as he emptied his first bucket into it.

The ducks, with their limited understanding of English, ignored him completely.

Dwalin poured in his own buckets as the ducks piled into the pool, heads bobbing as they quacked and stamped their feet in the thin layer of water.

Balin sat back in his chair and waited.

“I feel like Micky Mouse,” Nori complained, lugging his buckets back to the pool for the fifth time.

“What?” Dwalin frowned.

“Micky Mouse. Fantasia? Y’know when he’s that magician’s apprentice and he has to fill up that pot from the well?”

“The one with the brooms that flood everything?” Dwalin asked, pouring in his own buckets, the water was now deep enough that the ducks couldn’t stand on the bottom.

Balin waited for the inevitable as the pair lingered by the pool.

“Yeah, that one,” Nori groaned, putting down his empty buckets he stretched his arms above his head till he heard a satisfying _click_ from his joints.

The ducks, finally realising the water was deep enough, shot under the surface.

Balin watched as the water they’d kicked out headed for, and landed on, a still stretched out Nori.

“Mother _fucker_!” Nori screeched as the cold water instantly soaked through his top and shorts. Another splash of water had him shrieking and jumping away from the ducks currently having a _wonderful_ time in their fresh, clean water.

Balin chuckled, eyes sparkling with mirth, as he looked at a sodden Nori.

Even Dwalin laughed, though his own amusement was short lived as the ducks, in their glee, shot around the pool, wings flapping and feet kicking, sending a spray of water Dwalin’s way.

He wasn’t quite quick enough to jump out of the line of fire.

“It’s not funny, Balin!” Dwalin glared at his older brother, cheeks pinking at the high-pitched squeal that had escaped his lips.

It took a few moments for Balin to compose himself, and a fair few more before the pair grudgingly accepted his offer of tea and biscuits.

Balin headed inside, still chuckling as Dwalin and Nori settled on the grass to dry in the afternoon sunshine…a safe distance from the pool and still splashing ducks within it.

Stepping back out into the garden, tea tray in hand, Balin found the spark of his amusement softening at the sight before him.

Now shirtless, Dwalin lay on the grass, one arm behind his head as the hand of the other combed through Nori’s long hair, now free from it’s braid, where his head rested on Dwalin’s stomach.

Balin couldn’t help the pleased sigh that escaped. He was so very glad that Nori had been curious enough to wander into the show all those months ago and change his little brother’s life for the better.

**Author's Note:**

> Partly based on true events...mainly the ducks splashing part. My two call ducks can never wait for me to fill the pool properly before they get in, and when it's deep enough it's pretty much guaranteed they'll splash me.
> 
> It's not much of an update to this little series, and I've not properly proof read it so apologies for any mistakes, but I just needed to write something that I didn't really have to think about.


End file.
